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hulls. Bouchard’s ? eet is 100% ? at deck Looking in the timeframe of your career: Oh it has certainly changed, and it con- bigger, faster and more complex which double hulls, no trunk tanks, which we do How is running a ? eet of workboats most tinues to change. The biggest change is results in vessel employees requiring not believe meet the double hull require- the same, and most different? in the equipment. Equipment today is more training and education.

ments, but I will leave that up to th

How do you see your ? eet and your company evolving over the next ? ve years?

The investments we have made over the past ? ve years have already paid off in marketing and advancing our ? eet, and I see no reason for it to change.

These advancements have increased fuel-ef? ciency, capacity and speed, and has expanded our ATB tug ? eet to 20.

With that said, we must remain ef? cient, safe and competitive.

In your position, what do you consider your number one challenge to operat- ing an ef? cient, pro? table ? eet, and why?

The biggest challenge I ? nd today is managing the new regulations, which seem to be endless, not only in our indus- try but in every industry. As a country, we need to take a step back and take a harder look at how over-regulating effects busi- nesses and jobs. I support regulations that make us safer, but some of these regula- tions today are costly in a market that is weak, which is not a good formula. For example, we have been forced to make investments in new equipment on ves- sels, which for some; will be hard to keep up with. Bouchard will make these in- vestments in a smart calculated manner; however, many smaller companies may have a dif? cult time.

New rules and regulation demand in- vestment. What do you see on the ho- rizon that you see as the most trouble- some, from a ? nancial standpoint, for your company or for the industry as a whole?

The clean water ballast system has

ECAP propeller by MMG been a disaster. Bouchard and others

BATTERY POWERED VESSELS went out and built new equipment with clean water ballast systems installed that supposedly met the regulations, or we '19*/LVWKHZRUOGlVOHDGLQJFODVVLgFDWLRQVRFLHW\DQGDUHFRJQL]HGDGYLVRUIRUWKHPDULWLPHLQGXVWU\ were told they would meet these regu- 6DIHJXDUGLQJOLIHSURSHUW\DQGWKHHQYLURQPHQWWKURXJKQHZWHFKQRORJ\WKHHPHUJLQJQHZEDWWHU\ lations. However, after the investments

WHFKQRORJ\VROXWLRQPDNHVLWSRVVLEOHWRXVHVWRUHGHQHUJ\IRUSURSXOVLRQ:LWKGHVLJQUDQJLQJIURP

K\EULGVROXWLRQWRSXUHFRQgJXUDWLRQVIRUVDIHUVPDUWHUDQGJUHHQHUYHVVHOV were made we were then told that the '19*/FDQVXSSRUW\RXZLWK system did not meet the regulations.

This is just a disaster for companies y &ODVVLgFDWLRQy9HULgFDWLRQy(QYLURQPHQWDOSHUIRUPDQFHy %DWWHU\SHUIRUPDQFHPRGHOLQJ y 2SHUDWLRQDOSHUIRUPDQFHHIgFLHQF\VROXWLRQVy(QKDQFHG/1*VROXWLRQV y*UHHQHU'3RSHUDWLRQ like Bouchard who continuously make y (QHUJ\VWRUDJHy,QGHSHQGHQWHQJLQHHULQJ investments and advancements to meet regulations. However, I am told that the /HDUQPRUHDWZZZGQYJOXVPDULWLPH clean water ballast system manufacture

Learn more at is working hard to rectify the injustice, and I am con? dent that they will.

6$)(560$57(5*5((1(5 www.marinelink.com 61

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